<VV> Re: 100% Corsa Membership

[Eric S. Eberhard]

Could not agree more.  Although Corvairs are relatively inexpensive, the 
cost of owning an even inexpensive car dwarfs the annual CORSA Membership cost.

I CORSA did not exist then there would be no good place for suppliers to 
advertise and slowly but surely we would lose suppliers.  As we lose 
contact with each other and stop learning from the magazine we will slowly 
have less people interested in Corvairs.  And as we lose suppliers and 
fellow enthusiasts the cost of owning a Corvair will go up exponentially -- 
and far exceed the cost of annual membership.

I look at my membership like any other "maintenance" item on my 
Corvair.  Would anyone consider not changing oil because oil costs too 
much??!!  Of course not -- but in reality, it would be even dumber to allow 
Corsa to wither and die.

So -- no sniveling -- pay those dues.  Make local chapters have 100% 
membership.  Raise the dues another 5 bucks.  Encourage everyone to go buy 
CORSA merchandise.  It'll be the best investment you ever made in your Corvair.


At 01:14 PM 3/4/2005, corvairs wrote:

>Thanks Smitty - Too many people lose site of the fact that people WILL 
>afford what is really important to them. The idea that we have to 
>dumb-down the organization so "everyone" can join is a bad place to be. I 
>have dealt with the Corvair public (And the general public) for 31+ years 
>and the truth is, almost everyone I have known that whined the loudest 
>about dues increases were people who were certainly able to pay for it - 
>they just didn't care to - which is thier absolute right. But why should 
>Corsa feel it's obligated to mitigate financial reality to those people/ Lon
>
>www.corvairunderground.com
>PORTLAND IN JULY!!! www.corsaoregon.com
>
>
>vairologist at juno.com wrote:
>
>>Smitty says:  I guess this comes under the heading of tough love.  Maybe
>>10 years ago we voted to make out club a 100% club.  Several in the club
>>predicted the collapse of the Club, or at least it drying up to a mere
>>shell.  We lost two members right away who never did much for the club
>>anyway.  We are doing fine now.  Much has been said about reducing cost
>>to people to join and the sticker shock of folks finding out they must
>>also be CORSA members.  I used to think about that and worry about it
>>some.  There are two things that I think valid to consider.  First, the
>>under $50 it costs a year to join is not a huge amount of money in todays
>>world.  If someone really wants to be a part of the club, they will make
>>it happen.  Second, owning, driving, or restoring a Corvair may be cheap
>>by comparison to other marques, but it is not cheap.  If a person can't
>>afford to do it then saving them 10 bucks on  annual dues isn't going to
>>make them financially well.  Give them the first year free in a local
>>club won't make them well either.  This is harsh but I have been on both
>>sides of the fence and I know how it feels to not be able to afford what
>>you want.  I would rather be in a club where everyone is confortable with
>>their hobby than be in one that has a couple of people putting used brake
>>shoes on their car and running around with the seat stuffing hanging out
>>because they can't afford better.  Guess what guys, this ain't a fair
>>world.
>>_______________________________________________
>>
>>
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Eric S. Eberhard
(928) 567-3727          Voice
(928) 567-6122          Fax
(800) 569-1122          Denver Office (I am never there, you can leave a 
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928-301-7537 -- you may call any time day or night, I turn it off when I 
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